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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318479">and a partridge in a pear tree</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaatiekinss/pseuds/kaatiekinss'>kaatiekinss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Fluff, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:35:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaatiekinss/pseuds/kaatiekinss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reggie is not a singer. He is not a musician. But he <em>will</em> sing Josie that stupid Twelve Days of Christmas song if it kills him. </p><p>A McMantle ficlet, in which Reggie learns the lyrics to Josie's favorite Christmas carol.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reggie Mantle/Josie McCoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and a partridge in a pear tree</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleighhayleau/gifts">ashleighhayleau</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <em>On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me<br/>Twelve drummers drumming<br/>Eleven pipers piping<br/>Ten lords a-leaping<br/>Nine ladies dancing<br/>Eight maids a-milking<br/>Seven swans a-swimming<br/>Six geese a-laying<br/>Five golden rings<br/>Four calling birds<br/>Three french hens<br/>Two turtle doves, and<br/>A partridge in a pear tree</em>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Josie mentions in passing one day how much she enjoys Christmas carols. And from that moment on, Reggie hangs on her every word, hoping she'll let slip which one is her favorite.
</p><p>Of course, this is much harder than he originally anticipated and he finds himself at a loss. Because as it turns out, he loves listening to just about anything that comes out of her mouth and he often finds himself watching her when she talks. Or sings. Or really just sits in class with her pen cap between her teeth. And he becomes distracted easily.
</p><p>Then it happens. They're in the lounge, sitting on one of the couches. Reggie has one arm slung around the headrest, the tips of his fingers just brushing the top of Josie's shoulder when Betty walks in humming that Christmas song with the twelve days.
</p><p>"Three French hens!"
</p><p>"Two turtle doves!"
</p><p>"And a partridge in a pear tree!"
</p><p>Veronica and Josie join in and finish it off, then descend into laughter and smiles.
</p><p>"You know, as cheesy as it is, I think that one is my favorite."
</p><p>Bingo.
</p><p>---
</p><p>"Come on, man! I would do it for you!" Archie gives Reggie a pointed look.
</p><p>"Okay, probably not but—" Reggie leans against the locker next to his buddy, arms crossed, trying to come off as nonchalant and failing. Epically.
</p><p>"This is important, Andrews, alright?"
</p><p>Archie grins at his friend as he shoves his textbooks into his bag, "You've really got it bad for her, don't you?"
</p><p>Reggie tries not to smile, but he really can't help it at all. He punches Archie's shoulder in jest.
</p><p>"Shut up, man."
</p><p>Archie laughs, "I'll help you out, Reg. How hard could it be?"
</p><p>---
</p><p>Very hard, as it turns out.
</p><p>To put it nicely, Reggie is not musically blessed. And Archie's not judging him for that at all. Reggie's talents lie on the football and baseball fields; not between the notes.
</p><p>But it makes teaching him the Twelve Days of Christmas song exceedingly difficult.
</p><p>"No, Reggie, it's a partridge in a pear tree, not a pigeon." Archie rubs the palm of his hand into his eye.
</p><p>"What the fuck is a partridge?" Reggie asks, flipping through the lyrics Archie printed off for him.
</p><p>"It's a brown short-tailed game bird native to Euroasia," Jughead supplies, not even looking up from his computer screen.
</p><p>"Thank you for that thrilling geography lesson, Jones."
</p><p>"That wasn't geography but okay."
</p><p>"Anyway," Archie shouts Jughead a look, "One more time, Reg, from the top."
</p><p>"Three French Hens!"
</p><p>"Two Turtles Doves!"
</p><p>"And a partridge in a pear tree!"
</p><p>Archie blinks slowly, trying to decipher what the fuck it was that just came out of Reggie's mouth because he's 99% positive it wasn't any note known to the human species.
</p><p>"Okay, Reggie? I say this as a friend," Archie claps his captain on the shoulder, "you're tone-deaf, dude."
</p><p>Reggie blinks slowly at his redheaded friend, "What the fuck does that mean, Andrews?"
</p><p>"It means that the sound of your voice is like listening to a group of cats being dragged down the freeway by their tails." Jughead says.
</p><p>Reggie looks up at the ceiling, "I'm fucked."
</p><p>Archie laughs, "Not really. I have an idea."
</p><p>---
</p><p>When Reggie asked Josie to meet him in the auditorium, she was confused. She's pretty positive Reggie's been in here, like, one time in the three years he's been going to school here.
</p><p>But he'd practically begged her and he seemed excited about something so here she is. Veronica ushers her to the front row, smiling the entire time, and Josie's more confused now than she was five minutes ago.
</p><p>"Uh, Veronica," Josie looks around the empty auditorium, "what's going on? Where's Reggie?"
</p><p>"Reggie will be out in a few short moments, but right now, I need you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show." Veronica winks at her and goes backstage, and then the lights go down.
</p><p>The music starts, and Josie realizes what exactly is going on. Reggie comes out and stands center stage, holding a fake pear tree with a stuffed bird on it. He's wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and a Santa hat. And somehow, he still looks cute.
</p><p>He opens his mouth and sings the opening line and Josie has to stifle a giggle. She can tell he's trying, but he's slightly off-beat and a little (a lot) out of key.
</p><p>When the rest of their friends join in, also dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters with Santa hats, Josie does laugh. She can't remember the last time someone went out of their way to do something special for her. And yeah, Reggie's not a singer, at all, but it's the thought that he put into it. He paid attention when she said this was her favorite Christmas song. And then he put this whole thing together for her.
</p><p>Reggie sings the final line, loud and off-key, arms spread wide and a grin on his face. Everyone claps when it's over, and Josie's torn between feeling embarrassed and charmed.
</p><p>"Did you do all of this for me?" She says, joining him onstage.
</p><p>"Well, Andrews helped, but, yeah," he says, placing the Santa hat on top of her head.
</p><p>"Merry Christmas, Josie."
</p><p>"Merry Christmas, Reggie."
</p><p>"Can I take this stupid sweater off now?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally published via my old account, TheVoicelessRomantic, on 1-2-2020, this is my ficletmas present for Tay (@chuckclayton).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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